Kindergarten in Review

My Dear Son,

We sat together at the breakfast table today, this being your last day of Kindergarten, and I cannot believe how quickly the year passed!

You have grown and changed so much since last August! I wanted to make sure to capture the most memorable parts of the year.

Kindergarten did not start out so well for you, as I wrote about in the post Kindergarten Sucks. You had a really rough first few days. It’s hard to believe that the same little boy who jumps eagerly out of the van each morning and walks himself to his classroom is the same boy who cried and cried and had to be peeled off of my legs the first week.

You have grown and changed!

• When you started in August 2012, you could barely write your name. Now you can write in full sentences!
• Although you could recognize most letters, you were not able to read at all. Now you read entire books to me and daddy!
• You hated being left anywhere without us – school, Sunday school, nurseries – now you walk right in on your own, no hassles!
• You now have a wealth of knowledge on topics such as math and science (you even schooled me on the word ‘oviparous’) and you are so curious and anxious to learn!

Some of the memorable events of this school year:

• Our after school chats about school events, especially the days you had “community.” As you explained to me, community is the time that your teachers discuss any “issues” and one day, you Kindergartners had a lot of issues! The most important issue was dealing with Miss T in the cafeteria. The teachers had to tell all of you that you are no longer to hug her at lunch time because she can’t get her work done with all the hugging. How my heart melted at the sweetness of this story! And of course, another issue – no playing super heroes and play fighting at recess!
• Our two field trips together, the Congaree National Park and the Zoo. I am so lucky to be able to take the time to go with you and experience these with you! And I know you love having me there! (And of course our big family field trip to Disney – you got to take “Lucy” – the class dog, along with us!)
• Bringing snack for your Birthday. You were so excited to introduce me to all of your friends, and to help pass out the Capri Suns and ice cream cups. I love the helping nature of your heart Nayner Bug. I hope that is a characteristic that you always keep. You absolutely love to be a “helper.”
• Good report cards with sweet notes from your teacher like: “Nayner Bug is very caring and loving. He continues to use his LIFESKILLS each day and is making a great effort to do his personal best in his independent work…”
• Visiting for the “Celebration of Authors” where Daddy and I got to come see all the work you have done throughout the year. You were most proud of the Owl that you made. And you should be!
• And there were some bad memorable events as well. Of course, the rotten first week. Then there’s the story of your first Red Lighthouse, when Mrs. M had to call me and you, through a whole mess of sobbing tears, had to tell me that you lied to your teacher. You are a good boy, and you were so distraught at having to tell me this.
• The 2nd Red Lighthouse when you threw a bowling pin in anger after your team lost. This led us to many conversations about being a good sport, keeping your cool, learning to deal with anger in other ways… and apparently it worked, because on Monday we had the “sand castle incident.”  I wrote about that on Facebook:

You also learned the value of service this year, through our fundraising efforts for March for Babies, and in our work with the Children’s Hospital. I especially loved how you told everyone that you met that we were raising money to save babies like your baby sisters, Tiny and Kathryn. And how you made sure to tell everyone your baby sister Kathryn lives in Heaven.

My favorite, most memorable memory has nothing to do with Kindergarten. It was you, my shy little 5 year old, taking the stage at the USC Dance Marathon fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital. Without a lick of fear, you danced all by yourself to Gagnum Style in front of over 300 cheering university students! And I didn’t get a single picture!  You were awesome and the students loved you!

Here you are before the event!

Overall the good definitely outweighed the bad. We had challenges with focusing on workshop, and you really hated writing, but with good support from your teacher, we got you where you needed to be. I really believe that you have learned all the building blocks for a successful life from your year in Kindergarten.

I’m so very proud of you.

You are a good student, a good brother, a good son, a sweet boy.

I love you.